An application of formation fluid testing is to confirm the mobile fluid phase in the reservoir. This determination can be important in reservoirs in which there is significant uncertainty about the formation water salinity. This situation is further complicated in poor permeability reservoirs where there can be a long oil-water transition zone. Defining the mobile fluid phase down the transition zone can be achieved by sampling with, for example, a pump-out wireline formation tester (PWFT). This tool incorporates downhole sensors to analyze the fluid while pumping, the results of which are used to determine when and how to sample the formation fluid. The fluid samples are received into sample chambers.
After the sample chambers are retrieved to the surface, the chambers typically are sent to a lab for transfer of the sampled fluid and detailed analysis. Often, there is a long delay between retrieving the sample chambers and obtaining the analysis results; at times the delay can be on the order of weeks. Such delays are undesirable given the high costs associated with drilling operations.